Wednesday, June 22, 2011
By Ben Forman
New research by the Brookings Institution adds to our understanding of immigrants in Gateway City regions. The report looks at the balance between low-skill (those without a high school degree or equivalent) and high-skill immigrants (those with a BA or higher) in the nation’s 100 largest metro areas.
Findings show that high-skill immigrants in Greater Worcester outnumber low-skill immigrants by a ratio of nearly two to one. The Worcester metro area has one of the largest ratios of high- to low-skilled immigrants in the nation. Surprisingly, Worcester’s ratio is significantly higher than the Boston metro area’s.
In the Springfield region, which has proportionately fewer immigrants than Worcester, there is a more even balance between low- and high-skilled immigrants. Hartford –Springfield’s southern neighbor – has many more immigrants and a higher immigrant skill ratio.
The Brookings research shows that the nation’s immigrants are increasingly high-skilled. In 1980, less than 20 percent had college degrees; today nearly 30 percent have earned a BA or higher. The data also suggest that immigrants tend to be more underemployed than native-born Americans. In Gateway City regions eager to find talented workers, helping immigrants fully utilize their skills looks like a promising workforce strategy.
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Gateway Cities